I know a lot of people have been looking forward to this day for a long time. The preparation is intense, the training is strict, and the payout is fulfilling. Nah, forget about the London Olympics…it’s time for The Geekly! Onward with the history!

July 27th, 1938: A true revolutionary in the geek industry, the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, Gary Gygax is born in Chicago, Illinois. Be sure to roll a d20 for the original DM today.

July 27th, 1950: Simon Jones, best known for his role as Arthur Dent in the original television and radio versions of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is born in Charlton Park, England.

July 27th, 1973: A writer now known for her Young Adult fiction, Cassandra Clare is born in Tehran, Iran. In case you’re wondering why I’ve included Miss Clare, not only do her novels ring with fantasy and geeky awesome, she got her start writing fanfiction for both Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings…maybe you’ve heard of The Draco Trilogy or even “The Very Secret Diaries?” (VSD is not strictly SFW.)

July 28th, 1941: The man who has voiced, among other things, Mario, Ironhide, and the one and only Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen is born in Montreal.

July 28th, 1971: A little bit goofy, the man responsible for my favorite parody song (D&D), Stephen Lynch is born in Abington, Pennsylvania.

July 29th, 1941: A man who has acted and voiced in a wide variety of roles from Ra’s Al Ghul to Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and even held roles delving into the Lovecraftian mythos and ones that were a part of the Star Trek world(s), David Warner is born in Manchester, England. Having also done voice work for Doctor Who, it has been announced that Mr. Warner will be returning for an episode in the upcoming Series 7.

July 29th, 1959: NASA is formed when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law.

July 29th, 1966: The man behind the voice of the original Alpha 5 (Hello! Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, folks!) and Zim, the loveable alien bent on world domination, Richard Steven Horvitz is born in Los Angeles, California.

July 29th, 1982: The ever-inquisitive Chloe Sullivan from Smallville, Allison Mack is born in Preetz, Germany.

July 29th, 2005: The discovery of the dwarf planet Eris is announced. It was actually discovered on January 5th of that year from images taken in October of 2003.

July 30th, 1970: No introduction needed, Christopher Nolan is born in London, England.

July 3oth, 1982: Both the voice and model of Cerberus Officer Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect), Yvonne Stahovski is born in Sydney, Australia.

July 30th, 1947: A man who shares a birthday with both the author and titular character of the Harry Potter series and would also go on to play Harry’s tormentor, Uncle Vernon Dursley, actor Richard Griffiths is born in Thornaby-on-Tees, England.

July 30th, 1962: The man who would go on to play the titular character in the Blade film trilogy, Wesley Snipes is born in Orlando, Florida.

August 1st, 1818: A woman who helped pioneer women in science, Maria Mitchell, the first American woman who worked as a professional astronomer, is born in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

August 2nd, 1970: Filmmaker, comic book writer, internet radio personality, and general icon Kevin Smith is born in Red Bank, New Jersey.

So, now, to Twist it up for the week we’ll go for something that both muggles and magical alike can love: Butterbeer!

1 part butterscotch schnapps

1 dash pure vanilla or vanilla schnapps

7 parts cream soda

Mix the schnapps in a tall much and slowly pour in the cream soda. It’s simple enough, so get enyoin’!

Now, I know there’s a lot of butterbeer recipes out there, so why not just go to the source for your Garnish. I mean, after all, what better place to enjoy a cold butterbeer than at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? I know that’s part of future vacation plans for ME. Speaking of future vacation plans, I’ve been toying around with a new-to-me site: Geek.Travel. Tagged as “Wanderlust for Geeks,” I’ve found the site to be a fun and unique way to plan a vacation. There are links to science centers, Ren faires, zombie walks, and more so there’s definitely something for everyone. I especially love that it forces me to explore ideas I’ve not thought of before. Go check it out and tell ’em AJ sent you!